Self-cleaning system and method for air conditioners

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a self-cleaning system for an air conditioner, comprising: a drain pan installed on an evaporator side of the air conditioner, the drain pan operative to collect condensate from the evaporator side; a pump coupled to the drain pan, the pump operative to pump the collected condensate through a set of piping; and a plurality of spray nozzles installed on a condenser side of the air conditioner, the spray nozzles coupled to the set of piping and operative to spray the collected condensate over a condenser in the condenser side, wherein the pump further comprises a control mechanism operative to trigger a cleaning cycle of pumping and spraying of the collected condensate.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present specification relates generally to air conditioners and more specifically to a self-cleaning system for an air conditioner.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present disclosure. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art nor material to the presently described or claimed inventions, nor that any publication or document that is specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.

Industrial roof mounted air conditioners are in common use in modern society. The air conditioner cools incoming external air and withdraws warm internal air to provide climate control for one or more rooms in the building. Such air conditioners often see use in applications require climate control for building and rooms subject to internal heating, such as restaurants.

However, these environments also increase the buildup on the air conditioner condenser of contaminants, particularly airborne particles of grease and dust, that are drawn in with the interior air. Over time, the accumulation of these particles degrades the efficiency and performance of the condenser and the air conditioner. Attempting to clean the condenser can require shutting down the air conditioning unit, which may not be possible in some applications which require 24/7 operation.

Thus, while manual cleaning of the air conditioner may be possible, it would be desirable to modify an air conditioner to be self-cleaning during operation, preferably with a minimum of additional components.

Accordingly, there remains a need for improvements in the art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with an aspect of the invention, there is provided an air conditioner with a self-cleaning system for the condenser side of the air conditioner.

According to an embodiment of the invention, there is provided a self-cleaning system for an air conditioner, comprising: a drain pan installed on an evaporator side of the air conditioner, the drain pan operative to collect condensate from the evaporator side; a pump coupled to the drain pan, the pump operative to pump the collected condensate through a set of piping; and a plurality of spray nozzles installed on a condenser side of the air conditioner, the spray nozzles coupled to the set of piping and operative to spray the collected condensate over a condenser in the condenser side, wherein the pump further comprises a control mechanism operative to trigger a cleaning cycle of pumping and spraying of the collected condensate.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, there is provided an air conditioner, the air conditioner comprising an evaporator side and a condenser side, comprising: a drain pan installed on the evaporator side, the drain pan operative to collect condensate from the evaporator side; a pump coupled to the drain pan, the pump operative to pump the collected condensate through a set of piping; and a plurality of spray nozzles installed on the condenser side, the spray nozzles coupled to the set of piping and operative to spray the collected condensate over a condenser in the condenser side, wherein the pump further comprises a control mechanism operative to trigger a cleaning cycle of pumping and spraying of the collected condensate.

For purposes of summarizing the invention, certain aspects, advantages, and novel features of the invention have been described herein. It is to be understood that not necessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with any one particular embodiment of the invention. Thus, the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught or suggested herein. The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings and detailed description.

Other aspects and features according to the present application will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description of embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which show, by way of example only, embodiments of the invention, and how they may be carried into effect, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a transparent top view of an air conditioner with a self-cleaning system according to an embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a side cut-away view of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of a method of self-cleaning according to the system of FIG. 1.

Like reference numerals indicated like or corresponding elements in the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

The present invention relates to air conditioners and more specifically to a self-cleaning air conditioner with a self-cleaning system for the condenser side of the air conditioner.

According to an embodiment as shown in FIG. 1, an air conditioner 100 is composed of an evaporator side 110 and a condenser side 120. The evaporator side 110 has a blower fan 130 to drive air through the air conditioner 100 over the evaporator 115 and into the ventilation system of the room or building being cooled. The condenser side 120 has a condenser 140 to cool air traveling through the air conditioner 100, and a condenser fan 150 draw air from the ventilation system of the room/building over the condenser 140.

As the air is cooled over the evaporator side 110, condensation forms and gradually accumulates (“condensate”) on the evaporator 115 and is typically allowed to drip off and run off the roof to drain. However, in the present embodiment, a drain pan 160 is provided at the bottom of the air conditioner under the evaporator side 110 to collect the condensate. The accumulated condensate may then be pumped via pump 170 and piping 180 to be expelled through nozzles 190 located over and/or around condenser 140 on the condenser side 120 of air conditioner 100. The drain pan 160 may be sized based on the amount of condensate required, from a defined area under the evaporator 115, to covering the entire bottom of the evaporator side 110.

The expelled condensate is thus sprayed over condenser 140, both cooling the condenser 140 as well as removing any accumulated waste or particles on the condenser 140. The sprayed condensate is then allowed to drain away from the air conditioner over the roof or by other means as is previously known. This overall process is referred to herein as a cleaning cycle. As discussed above, the nozzles 190 may be distributed over the top and/or sides of the body of the condenser side to ensure full coverage over condenser 140 during the cleaning cycle.

In order to control the timing and pattern of spraying, a control mechanism 200 may be coupled to pump 170 to control operating timing and patterns. One type of control mechanism is a float-based mechanism, which uses a float 210 inside drain pan 160. As the collected condensate in drain pan 160 accumulates, the float 210 rises, and when float 210 reaches a specified level, the pump 170 is triggered to begin the spraying process. As the level of accumulated condensate thereby decreases, the float 210 will sink, and again, when it reaches a specified level, pump 170 is triggered to stop. The float-based mechanism provides additionally safety by ensuring that the level of the accumulated condensate does not exceed the capacity of the drain pan 160, as well as ensuring that pump 170 is not operated without a sufficient volume of accumulated condensate to ensure operation.

Another type of control mechanism is timer-based. A timer 220 is coupled to pump 170 and used to control the timing and duration of pump activity. The timer 220 may be set either locally or remotely. For example, the timer 220 may activate every hour to trigger pump 170 to begin the spraying process. The timer 220 may then further specify a duration for the spraying process, for example, 30 seconds, based on the capacity of the drain pan 160 as well as the required time estimate to effect proper cleaning of the condenser 140. The timer-based control mechanism provides for regular cleaning cycles independently of the condensate collection rate.

Additionally, the float-based control mechanism and timer-based control mechanism may be combined to provide both the safety and cleaning advantages gained via each mechanism. For example, the timer-based mechanism may be used as a primary control mechanism, with the float-based system acting as a backup to prevent the collected condensate from overflowing or running dry during pumping.

Additionally, an injection mechanism 230 may be added to allow for the addition of cleaning agents, such as decalcifiers, to the collected condensate prior to spraying to increase the effectiveness of the cleaning cycle. The specific construction of the injection mechanism 230 depends on the nature of the cleaning agents. For example, a solid cleaning agent may be used, which is exposed to the collected condensate and dissolves into the collected condensate over time. Alternatively, a liquid cleaning agent may be used, in which case the injection mechanism may be coupled to the trigger mechanism of the pump 170 to permit the cleaning agent to be added to the collected condensate just prior to commencement of the cleaning process. The injection mechanism 230 may also have an exterior access point to permit monitoring and replacement of the cleaning agent without requiring access or disassembly of the air conditioner 100 or condenser 140. Also, cleaning agents may not be added at ever cleaning cycle, but rather as needed for maintenance requirements depending on operations, such as a monthly or annual maintenance requirement.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, the cleaning cycle 300 starts by collecting (310) condensate from the evaporator side in the drain pan, and then triggering (320) the pump via the control mechanism to pump (330) the collected condensate through suitable piping and to the nozzles to spray (340) the collected condensate over the condenser for cleaning. The sprayed condensate is then allowed to runoff (35) for drainage/disposal. Optionally, as shown by dashed lines, the injector for the cleaning agents may be triggered (325) along with the pump.

The described air conditioner 100 is based on a commercial rooftop-style air conditioner, however, the embodiments described herein may be adapted to residential or other types of air conditioners. For example, residential air conditioners may require adaptations to allow for runoff collection and disposal, as it may not merely run off as is possible with rooftop air conditioners. Further, the embodiments may be adapted for other applications that allow for collection of condensates, such as refrigeration systems, in addition to the air conditioning system described herein.

It should also be noted that the steps described in the method of use can be carried out in many different orders according to user preference. The use of “step of” should not be interpreted as “step for”, in the claims herein. It should also be noted that, under appropriate circumstances, considering such issues as design preference, user preferences, marketing preferences, cost, structural requirements, available materials, technological advances, etc., other methods are taught herein.

The embodiments of the invention described herein are exemplary and numerous modifications, variations and rearrangements can be readily envisioned to achieve substantially equivalent results, all of which are intended to be embraced within the spirit and scope of the invention. Further, the purpose of the foregoing abstract is to enable the Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientist, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. Certain adaptations and modifications of the invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the presently discussed embodiments are considered to be illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An air conditioner, the air conditioner comprising an evaporator side and a condenser side, comprising: a drain pan installed on the evaporator side, the drain pan operative to collect condensate from the evaporator side; a pump coupled to the drain pan, the pump operative to pump the collected condensate through a set of piping; and a plurality of spray nozzles installed on the condenser side, the spray nozzles coupled to the set of piping and operative to spray the collected condensate over a condenser in the condenser side, wherein the pump further comprises a control mechanism operative to trigger a cleaning cycle of pumping and spraying of the collected condensate.
 2. The air conditioner of claim 1, wherein the control mechanism for the pump is comprised of: a float-based mechanism, a timer-based mechanism, and a combination thereof.
 3. The air conditioner of claim 2, wherein the control mechanism is a timer-based mechanism and is operative to trigger a cleaning cycle of a fixed time length.
 4. The air conditioner of claim 2, wherein the control mechanism is a combination of a timer-based mechanism and a float-based mechanism where the timer-based mechanism is a primary control mechanism and the float-based mechanism is a secondary control mechanism.
 5. The air conditioner of claim 2, wherein the control mechanism may further be remotely operated.
 6. The air conditioner of claim 1, further comprising an injection mechanism to add one or more cleaning agents to the condensate prior to the cleaning cycle.
 7. The air conditioner of claim 6, wherein the injection mechanism is coupled to the control mechanism such that the injection mechanism is triggered prior to the pump.
 8. The air conditioner of claim 6, wherein the injection mechanism is accessible from the exterior of the air conditioner for addition and replacement of cleaning agents.
 9. The air conditioner of claim 6, wherein the cleaning agent comprises one or more decalcifiers.
 10. The air conditioner of claim 1, where the pump is positioned within the interior of the drain pan.
 11. A self-cleaning system for an air conditioner, comprising: a drain pan installed on an evaporator side of the air conditioner, the drain pan operative to collect condensate from the evaporator side; a pump coupled to the drain pan, the pump operative to pump the collected condensate through a set of piping; and a plurality of spray nozzles installed on a condenser side of the air conditioner, the spray nozzles coupled to the set of piping and operative to spray the collected condensate over a condenser in the condenser side, wherein the pump further comprises a control mechanism operative to trigger a cleaning cycle of pumping and spraying of the collected condensate.
 12. The self-cleaning system of claim 11, wherein the control mechanism for the pump is comprised of: a float-based mechanism, a timer-based mechanism, and a combination thereof.
 13. The self-cleaning system of claim 12, wherein the control mechanism is a timer-based mechanism and is operative to trigger a cleaning cycle of a fixed time length.
 14. The self-cleaning system of claim 12, wherein the control mechanism is a combination of a timer-based mechanism and a float-based mechanism where the timer-based mechanism is a primary control mechanism and the float-based mechanism is a secondary control mechanism.
 15. The self-cleaning system of claim 12, wherein the control mechanism may further be remotely operated.
 16. The self-cleaning system of claim 11, further comprising an injection mechanism to add one or more cleaning agents to the condensate prior to the cleaning cycle.
 17. The self-cleaning system of claim 16, wherein the injection mechanism is coupled to the control mechanism such that the injection mechanism is triggered prior to the pump.
 18. The self-cleaning system of claim 16, wherein the injection mechanism is accessible from the exterior of the air conditioner for addition and replacement of cleaning agents.
 19. The self-cleaning system of claim 16, wherein the cleaning agent comprises one or more decalcifiers.
 20. The self-cleaning system of claim 11, where the pump is positioned within the interior of the drain pan.
 21. A kit for a self-cleaning system for an air conditioner, comprising: a drain pan for installation on an evaporator side of the air conditioner, the drain pan operative to collect condensate from the evaporator side of the air conditioner; a pump coupled to the drain pan, the pump operative to pump the collected condensate through a set of piping; and a plurality of spray nozzles for installation on a condenser side of the air conditioner, the spray nozzles coupled to the set of piping and operative to spray the collected condensate over a condenser in the condenser side, wherein the pump further comprises a control mechanism operative to trigger a cleaning cycle of pumping and spraying of the collected condensate.
 22. The kit of claim 21, wherein the control mechanism for the pump is comprised of: a float-based mechanism, a timer-based mechanism, and a combination thereof.
 23. The kit of claim 22, wherein the control mechanism is a timer-based mechanism and is operative to trigger a cleaning cycle of a fixed time length.
 24. The kit of claim 22, wherein the control mechanism is a combination of a timer-based mechanism and a float-based mechanism where the timer-based mechanism is a primary control mechanism and the float-based mechanism is a secondary control mechanism.
 25. The kit of claim 22, wherein the control mechanism may further be remotely operated.
 26. The kit of claim 21, further comprising an injection mechanism to add one or more cleaning agents to the condensate prior to the cleaning cycle.
 27. The kit of claim 26, wherein the injection mechanism is coupled to the control mechanism such that the injection mechanism is triggered prior to the pump.
 28. The kit of claim 26, wherein the injection mechanism is accessible from the exterior of the air conditioner for addition and replacement of cleaning agents.
 29. The kit of claim 26, wherein the cleaning agent comprises one or more decalcifiers.
 30. The kit of claim 21, where the pump is positioned within the interior of the drain pan. 